Hydraulic snubbing jack



Aug. 24, 1937. T|MB$ 2,090,854

HYDRAULIC SNUBBING JACK Filed March 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snow 2414 Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYDRAULIC SNUBBING 'JAoK' Edward Timbs, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The National Supply Company of Delaware, Toledo, Ohio, at corporation of Delaware Application March 22, 1935, Serial No. 12,454

11 Claims.

This invention relates to hydraulic snubbing jacks, and more particularly to a traveling spider for controlling the movement of a drill pipe through or with reference to the drilling head of eling spider or snubbing jack applicable for therunning of drill pipe into a well where there exists within the well a pressure condition such as would otherwise expel the drill pipe from the well and which is likewise applicable for use in controlling the positioning of the drill pipe in the well or the withdrawal of the drill pipe from the well.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reversal slip assembly in a traveling spider applicable for use with equal advantage for the lowering of the drill pipe or the raising of the drill pipe from a well when there is no pressure condition existing within the well.

Another object of this invention is to provide a traveling spider or snubbing jack in which there is provided a means for normally urging the slipsinto engagement with the drill pipe at all times and a hydraulic actuated means for moving the slips to the retrieved position when desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a traveling spider or snubbing jack including an improved form of rotating slip assembly within I a traveling yoke enabling the. drill pipe to be rotated while under the control of the snubbing jack. Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in vertical section of a hydraulic snubbing jack or traveling spider embodying my invention illustrating the same as adapted in position in a fragment of the drilling rig and as adapted to a rotary machine and drill pipe and casing assembly illustrated in phantom.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device embodying my invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmental enlarged cross-sectional elevation.

Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the prefer-red embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 1

Within the well or for the purpose of lifting drill indicates the fragment of the floor of a derrick as utilized for the purpose of drilling a well upon which floor a rotary machine 2, of a con!- struction well understood in the art, is mounted for the purpose of actuating the rotary drill stem 5 or pipe 3 upon the lower end of which is carried a drilling bit, not shown.

The beams 4 of the derrick support the cylinders 5 below the derrick floor l by means of the cross beams 6 to which cylinder support brack-. 10 ets I are secured. Cylinder heads 8 have flanges 9 which may be used as a further support for the cylinders 5 if desired. The upper cylinder heads l0 are provided with stuiiing boxes ll 5 through which sectional piston rods l2 project. Mounted within the cylinders 5 are pistons I3 which are secured to the ends of the piston rods I 2. The pistons l3 are provided with packing l4 and followers [5 secured to the piston by means of bolts l6. 1 20 A header pipe I1 is connected through connections l8 with the upper ends of the cylinders 5 and is connected through a pipe IS with a control valve 20. The lower ends of the cylinders 5 are connected by means of a similar header pipe 2| and branch connections through a pipe 22 with the control valve 20. The control valve 20 is situated within the derrick at a point adjacent the drillers position so as to permit of the introduction of fluid under pressure either to the upper or lower ends of the cylinders 5 at the opposite ends of the piston I3, as desired.

Connected to the upper ends of the sectional piston rods I2 is a yoke or crosshead 23. The piston rods I 2 are sectional in form and are connected together by means of couplings 24 in such a manner as to permit the removal of the upper sections 25 of the piston rods l2, together with the yoke 23 and the structure supported by the yoke 23 when it is' not desired to utilize the hydraulic snubbing jack or it is not necessary to control the operation of the drill pipe 3 against the pressure within the well.

The traveling spider or snubbing jack body 26 is supported centrally of the yoke 23 by passing the cylindrical portion 21 of the body 26 through the cylindrical yoke portion 28 of the yoke 23 and threading the retaining ring 29 to the end of the cylindrical portion 21 of the body 26. In this manner if desired the position of the body 26 may be reversed end for end with reference to the 'yoke 23 to permit the traveling spider or hydraulic jack to be utilized for either holding the drill pipe 3 downwardly against the pressure found stuck in the well.

The construction of the hydraulic snubbing jack or traveling spider embodying my invention is preferably that the same includes a plurality of segmental slips 30 having gripping wiokers 3| formed on their inner surface, which slips are 'guidingly retained within the spider 32 mounted within the body 26.

In order to guidingly maintain the slips 3!! in, position, they are slidingly supported by means of gibs 33 within the spider 32. The spider 32 is supported against endward movement within the body 26 by means of supporting bearings 34 interposed in an annular channel formed between the body 26 and the spider 32. 1

In order to yieldably support the slips 30 within the spider 32 so that they may be yieldably urged into gripping position, the spring 35 is interposed between the cap or guide collar .36 of the spider 32 and the ends of the slips 38.

In order to provide means for retrieving the slips 30 from the gripping position as illustratedin Figure 3 against the pressure of the springs 35, hydraulically operating means are preferably provided, which means includes a cylinder cap 31 secured to the upper end of the body 26 by means of cap screws 38 and within which cylinder cap an annular piston 39 is mounted, which piston 39 is formed with an extension providing an annular retrieving ring 40 which simultaneously engages of slips 30 and thus move the same irom.the

gripping to the retrieved position. Mounted within the upper end of the annular cap 4| is an adapter 43 having a suitable bore which provides a guide for the particular size of drill stem or pipe 3 passing through the upper end of the assembly.

In order to support the spider 32 within the body 26, a bronze bearing ring .44 is adjustably secured by means of a plurality of screws 45 to the upper end of the spider 32 and extends circumferentially outward into position to engage the annular shoulder 46 of the body 26.

In order to provide lubrication for the bearing provided by the bronze ring 44 and the antithrust bearings 34, force feed lubricant connections 41 and 48 are provided. The force feed lubricant connection 48 operates through a connecting pipe 49 to deliver lubricant into the annular recess within which the bearing 34 is' mounted. i

In order ,to prevent the lubricant which enters this annular recess from leaking outwardly, a packing 50 is provided between the periphery of the spider 32 and the inner wall'of the body 26.

The fluid pressure supply pipe 42 is connected by means of a conduit 5| with a control valve 52 which is situated within the derrick at a point adjacent the position occupied by the driller in controlling the operation of the drilling equipment. The control valve 52 is connected to a pipe 53 leading from a source of fluid 'under pressure. The control valve 52 is a two-way valve provided with an exhaust 54 so that upon actuation of the control valve 52 the fluid under pressure may be either conducted to the cylinder to actuate the piston 39 or the fluid under pressure therein may be exhausted as desired.

The yoke 23 is secured to the piston rods I2 by means of the piston rods l2 projecting through cylindrical bosses 55 formed in the respective ends of the yoke 23 and plugs 56 are threaded into the ends of the piston rods l2 to secure the yoke in position. Eyes 51 and 58 are provided, for the handling of the device within the derrick when it is desired to move the same to or from position by means of the hoisting lines.

In order to prevent the piston 39 from being forced downwardly through the cylinder formed by the cap 31, an annular shoulder 59 is provided within the bore of this cylinder to act as a stop, The eyes 51- and 58 form not only a means by which the device may be hoisted to or from position .as desired, but likewise provide a means through which guy wires may be connected with the traveling spider embodying my invention to hold the same firmly in position under conditions of extreme well pressure when desired.

In operation of the device embodying my invention, when it is desired to grip the drill pipe 3,

inder, whereupon the spring 35 forces the slips 30 into a position to grip the pipe, thereby holding the pipe from being forced-outwardly from the well. If it is then desired to feed the pipe downwardly in the well, the operator actuates the control valve 20 to establish communication-between the pressure supply pipe 60 and the pipe I9 leading to the header ll connected with the upper ends of the cylinders 5, thereby supplying pressure to within the cylinders 5 above the pistons l3 to force the yoke 23 and the traveling spider downwardly to feed the drill pipe 3 into the well as desired which may be during the rotation of the drill pipe 3 as occasioned through the use of the rotary machine 2. v

Bythis means either the drilling operation may be controlled by the feeding of the pipe downwardly into the well or during the insertion of the drill pipe into the well, the same may be fed 'into the well under the control of the traveling spider against the condition of pressure existing within'the well. If the pipe should become stuck in the well for any reason, upon mere reversal of the spider'body 26 within the yoke 23, the same traveling spider may be used to force a pipe 3 upwardly to dislodge the same in the well.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I" claim:

1. Ina pipe gripping device, the combination of a body having a central opening formed to provide a slip-engaging seat, a plurality of wedge slips slidably mounted on the seat and adapted to grip a pipe, a slip retrieving ring adapted to directly engage the ends ofs'aid slips at their smaller end, means for actuating the slip retrieving ring to eject the slips simultaneously from their gripping engagement-with the pipe, and means independent of said ringto yieldably urge the slips into gripping position upon the ring actuating means becoming inoperative.

2. In a traveling spider for handling well pipe, the combination of a body havinga central opening formed to provide an inverted slip-engaging seat, a. plurality of hold-down slips adapted to engage said seat, a cap having an inwardly extending flange secured to said body and encir- I cling the well .pipe, means interposed between said flange and said slips normally acting to yieldably urge the slips upwardly into g pping engagement with the pipe, a slip retrieving ring 5 mounted above said slips, and means for moving said slip retrieving ring downwardly to force the slips simultaneously out of gripping engagement ith the pipe.

3. In a pipe gripping device, the combination of a body having a central opening providing a slip-engaging seat, slips mounted on the seat, a

' cap having an inwardly extending flange mounted on said body adjacent one end of the central opening, yieldable means interposed ,between said flange and one end of the slips for normally urging the slips into gripping position, an annular slip retrieving ring positioned adjacent the opposite end of said slips, and pressure actuated means for actuating the ring to retrieve the slips.

4. In a pipe gripping device, the combination of a body, a'sleeve rotatably supported in position within the body, the sleeve having a central opening providing a slip-engaging seat, wedge 'slips mounted on the seat, a cylinder secured .to

said body, an annular slip retrieving ring guided on said cylinder and axially movable thereon, said ring being positioned adjacent the smaller end of the slips, and pressure actuated means for actuating the ring to retrieve the slips.

5. In a. traveling spider for handling well pipe, the combination of a yoke, a spider body, means for rotatably supporting the spider body within the yoke against endwise movement relative to the yoke, hydraulic cylinder means for vertically reciprocating the yoke, the body having a central opening providing an inverted slip-engaging seat, inverted slips mounted on the seat, spring means for yieldably urging the slips upwardly to pipeengaging position, an annular slip retrieving ring I positioned above said slips, and pressure actuated means for actuating the ring to retrieve the slips.

, 6. In a well derrick having a floor, a rotary machine, a supporting means for said rotary machine, the combination of a yoke adapted to 4,5 straddle said rotary, a spider body supported by the yoke, hold-down slips mounted in the body,

' a plurality of hydraulic cylinders secured to the rotary supporting means, pistons mounted within the cylinders, piston rods connecting the pistons 50 with the yoke, a stufiing box to seal the upper end of :each cylinder relative to its respective piston rod, the hydraulic cylinders being mounted in position below the floor of the derrick, the.

piston rods being formed in longitudinal sections 55 to permit. removal of the yoke and the pipe gripping means with the upper piston rod sections positioned above the stufiing box when the pistons are in their lowermost position.

7. In a spider for handling well pipe, the g combination of a body having a tapered opening providing a slip-engaging seat, slips mounted within-the body on the tapered seat to engage the pipe positioned within said opening, means operatively associated with the body defining an 65 annular chamber closed at one end and encircling the pipe, an annular piston operatively associated with said slips in position within said chamber to define an expansible chamber, and means to admit fluid under pressure into the 70 expansible chamber to actuate said piston to move the slips to retrievedlposition from engagement with the well pipe.

3 8.'In a spider for handling well pipe, the

combination of a body having a tapered opening providing a slip-engaging seat, slips mounted within the body on the tapered seat to engage the pipe positioned within said opening, yieldable means for normally urging said slips into engagement with the pipe, means operatively associated with the body defining an annular chamber closed at one end and encircling the pipe, an annular piston operatively associated with the slips and positioned within the chamber to define an expansible chamber, and means to admit fluid under pressure as desired into said expansible chamber to actuate said-piston in a direction to retrieve the'slips from engagement with the welkpipe.

9. In a spider for handling well pipe, the combination of a body having a tapered opening providing a slip-engaging seat, slips mounted within the body on the tapered seat to engage the pipe positioned within said opening, supporting means for said body including thrust bearings to rotatably support said body against axial thrust of the well pipe, means operatively associated with the body defining an annular chamber closed at one end and encircling the pipe, an annular piston operatively associated with said slips and positioned within said chamber to define an expansible chamber, and

means to admit fluid under pressure as desired inthe said expansible chamber to actuate said piston in a direction to retrieve the slips from engagement with the well pipe. l

10. In a traveling spider for handling well pipe, the combination of a vertically moving support,having an opening formed therein, means to regulate the upward and downward movement of the support, a slip carrying member having an pansible chamber, and means to admit fluid under pressure as desired in the said expansible chamber to actuate said piston in a direction to retrieve said slips from engagement with the well pipe.

11. In a spider for handling well pipe, the

. combination 01' a support, a body, up and downthrust bearing means between the body and the support for rotatably supporting the body within the support, the body being formed to provide a tapered opening forming a slip-engaging seat, a.

plurality of slips mounted within the body on the slip-engaging seat to engage the well pipe, means operatively associated with the support defining an annular pressure chamber closed at one end and encircling the pipe, an annular piston operatively associated with said slips and positioned within said chamber, and means to admit fluid under pressure into said chamber to actuate said piston in a direction to retrieve the slips from their engagement with the well pipe.

. EDWARD TIMES. 

